Mindless leases have left Tamil Nadu temples in penury: Madras high court – Times of India

MADURAI: Flaying the mindless leasing of heritage assets of ancient temples for business activities that are hardly related to the temples concerned, Madras high court has rued that many temple premises have become shopping centres.
People have not learned any lesson even after a severe fire accident at Madurai’s Meenakshi Sundareswarar temple a few years back, said a division bench of justices T S Sivagnanam and S Ananthi.
“The authorities, unmindful of the heritage value of the temples, had licensed and leased out temple property as well as verandas of temples to traders to carry on trading activity by selling articles which are unrelated and unconnected with the temple and the worshipping public. These shops have virtually become shopping centres, if not, shopping malls.”
Also, scores of temples in the state do not have enough funds even for one pooja a day, said the judges, adding, “such is the sorry state of affairs.”
The HR&CE department alone is not to be blamed for the current status, as there are several persons to be blamed for such a situation, said the judges. Lessees of temple are one of the main persons who are to be blamed for the temples being left without sufficient funds.
Several cases are filed before courts by the lessees claiming that they were entitled to continue indefinitely in temple property paying a paltry sum as a rent or license fee, the bench said.
The court made the scathing observations while disposing of a public interest writ petition filed by one K Suresh, vice-president of Dharma Sena.
He sought daily poojas and rituals as per agamas at Adhikesava Perumal temple in Kanyakumari district.
As for his plea that a particular sect of people alone have to perform particular rituals as per the agamas, the judges said the petitioner’s remedy lies elsewhere and not by way of a writ petition in the court.
The bench said, “therefore, this court cannot issue a direction as sought for by the petitioner,” adding that if he had materials as to how the temple had to be preserved, restored and maintained, he could share the details with authorities.
People have not learned any lesson even after a severe fire accident at Meenakshi Sundareswarar temple a few years back, said a division bench of justices T S Sivagnanam and S Ananthi